When Nicole fell in love with a Pottery Barn desk she knew she could not afford, she decided to create her own DIY version. Using her existing Effektiv desk from IKEA and two wooden filing cabinets she found on Craigslist, she was able to build a new desk that mimiced the look of her Pottery Barn inspiration.

Nicole painted the desk and filing cabinets (only $75 for the pair) in Timid White by Benjamin Moore. She removed the legs from the Effektiv desk and created mental metal braces to attach the pieces of the desktop together and to secure it to the wall in the corner. The side portions of the desktop simply rest on the top of the file cabinets. The change between the before and after is dramatic, and Nicole's finished product is a DIY inspiration.